One day he toyed with the idea of starting a blog following the example of Locust Tunghok, so he got all the infrastructure set up, including a domain and web hosting and then couldn't be arsed to write with any regularity.

Hotels

The Doubletree by Hilton Beijing hotel was good enough for its room rates – given that it wasn’t expensive, it is understandable that some features would be missing. It lacks, for example, a proper desk in the room, which could be a problem for business travellers. There is also no bathtub in the bathroom. Internet is free if you join membership, but fast internet is paid. The room itself felt clean, except for the leather(ish) sofa / chairs which always…

The location of Hotel i31 is great. Located between the Naturkundemuseum (U-bahn + tram) and Nordbahnhof (S-bahn) both stations are about 5 minutes away and very convenient. Round the corner of Eichendorffstrasse is a small cafe called Oslo Kaffebar where they serve decent coffee, and round the corner to the north on Chausseestrasse is a kebab shop that opens till after 23:00. If you are looking to dine at good restaurants, Rutz Restaurant und Weinbar and Restaurant reinstoff are nearby.…

The best thing about Hotel Sonne is its location – only a few minutes walk with luggages from the train station. Despite the normal (and perhaps slightly boring) façade of the building, this is one quirky hotel. The front desk was small, as was the hotel bar which is located to the right of the front desk and features an assortment of mediocre generic cocktails, and beer, which we should have ordered. The hotel itself, however, was bigger than expected,…

To begin with, it’s location. The Adina Apartment Hotel is located 5 blocks away from the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station). Given that these blocks aren’t big, walking time is about 15 minutes. With luggages, one can take the tram like we did, a mere 2 stops from the HB. The room was spacious and clean except for a minor problem – an opened bottle of sparking water was left in the fridge (part of the minibar) which we informed…

As always, location comes first. The Riviera Hotel is near the Sai Van lake, a bit on the hillside. Whilst some like its rather removed location, I find it inconvenient. Had it been a good relaxing resort-type hotel, the seclusion might work – but not for a utilitarian hotel. The lobby of the hotel screams mainland Chinese, with gold here and dragon there. Smelled a bit that way too. Not surprising, as the hotel doesn’t even have a website and…

I had to visit Bangkok for business and stayed at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit for three nights. The location of the hotel is superb, right next to the BTS Asoke station with footbridge connection from lobby level. For those who happen to stay here and wish to use the BTS, don’t make my mistake of leaving via ground level exit to climb the stairs at the BTS station in the hot and humid Bangkok weather, as the hotel has direct…

Again I should begin with the location. Marriott Hotel City Centre is located very close to the west end of the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, a key shopping area in Shanghai. The location was very convenient but the hotel itself is relatively difficult to find, especially if you’re here for the first time. There is only one relatively small sign and the main entrance is on a side street. Tell the taxi driver it’s on Xizang Middle Road and northwards…

Due to work schedules, I have to visit Beijing rather regularly, and often have to stay at Grand Hyatt Beijing for various reasons. It has it merits and is a good hotel, but its age shows. Located atop Xintiandi right next to Huangfujing, the hotel is adjacent to two subway stations, both within 5 minutes walk indoors via the Xintiandi mall. Other than subway you’ll most likely be travelling via taxi anyway, so transportation is generally not an issue. For those who like…

A recent eating trip to Macau braought us to Macau, after not coming here for over two years. Having been to this small SAR for quite a few times in the past 10 years, we knew where to stay. Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 it is! The hotel fits most our requirements – convenient location on the Macau peninsula near the main road, yet slightly removed from the busiest of actions that it wouldn’t be too noisy. Has the unavoidable…

For us, Dandy Tianjin is proof that you don’t need a 5-star hotel to have a very enjoyable stay. Of course, if you look for luxurious rooms, jacuzzi, seaview, huge rooms, swimming pools or spas, you will be disappointed. Yet, the very friendly staff and neatly designed rooms (some with special designs!) more than compensates for the lack of luxury. This was our second stay at Dandy Tianjin (yes, we liked it so much last time that we decided to…